Blog - Jacqueline Lasahn

Virgo New Moon: Skillful Synthesis

September 19, 2017 By Jacqueline

Matrix of divine order and cosmic chaos,
planetary cycles seed and crest,
giving birth to what’s been repressed.

Heartache.
Ideals and dreams,
hunger and longing
might hold us back – or
give birth to compassion
and inspiration to serve.

Discerning mind.
Priorities, schedule, here and now.
Organize and assess
what needs to be done and how to do it.
(hmm… anyone stressed?)

Innovation or sheer rebellion.
Breaking free to a broader vision of possibility.
Impatience with the details of daily life.

The challenge is to develop awareness
and break free of unconscious compulsion.
To know when to forge ahead and when to detach.

There is no singular solution.
There is no key that fits all locks.
Each one of us has a personal puzzle to solve,
an original design to integrate,
a unique door to walk through.

Virgo New Moon focuses on skillful synthesis.
Radical housekeeping,
organization of workplace,
essential health practices.
Practical, simple…
continually bringing perfection into the continual mess.

“But life at its best is a creative synthesis of opposites in fruitful harmony.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dark moon passage leads to
the Equinox threshold.
Find equanimity. Make peace.

Realize the details,
observe wholeness.
Unravel bureaucracy’s knots,
discern nature’s design.

Practice patience,
refine perception.
Renew devotion to your purpose,
this is your Sacred Life.

Virgo New Moon
September 19, 2017 10:29 pm PDT

Autumn Equinox
September 22, 2017 1:01 pm PDT

Healing Transformation
The dreamy lens of Mercury opposite Neptune arrives with images, ideals and infinite visions to lift wings of inspiration or tempt illusions of escape. Earthy Virgo aligns skills and experience to facilitate dreams and make a tangible difference in the world. Plant your new moon seeds with sincerity for integration and wholeness. The new moon lands opposite Chiron, emphasizing the polarity of the recent Full Moon in Pisces – read here. Painful underpinnings are laid bare. The pathway of healing includes tenderness, compassion and forgiveness.

Longer Cycles of Volatile & Rapid Change
September 27: The First Quarter Moon, midway between new and full, coincides with Jupiter opposite Uranus (the final of three exact aspects of the cycle since December 27, 2016 & March 7, 2017).

September 28: Pluto direct. The intensity and upheaval of transformation. Life is not going to get simpler anytime soon. So, make the most of this New Moon, complicated as it is. Find the simple. Gather all your resources for skillful synthesis. Follow your instincts towards healing and wholeness to carry you you through.

“If you will stay close to nature, to its simplicity, to the small things hardly noticeable, those things can unexpectedly become great and immeasurable.” Rainer Maria Rilke

Realize you can’t figure it all out.
Confusion and disorientation has a voice and needs to be heard. What’s beneath uncertainty?

Practicality and efficiency have a voice and need a place to land.

Listen to the message of simplicity – what is it saying to you?

What attitudes, things or routines are breaking down and need to be discarded or repaired?
What are the essential practices and priorities in my life?

“In addition to the spot-on insights she offers through astrology, Jacqueline is a good listener. She asks me questions which guide me to go deeper into myself.” Felicia P.

Learn about how an astrology reading can you help you: Click here!

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Copyright © 2017 Jacqueline Lasahn All rights reserved
Keep Peace in Your Soul: Driftwood Sculpture by Debra Bernier
“Spiral fossil” by Penelope Else and “Tiny Dancers” by Neal Fowler are licensed under CC BY 2.0 and modified by Jacqueline Lasahn

Pisces Full Moon: You Are the Sky

September 4, 2017 By Jacqueline

“Wisdom tells me that I am nothing. Love tells me that I am everything. Between those two my life flows.” Nisargadatta Maharaj

Gazing into infinity’s mirror,
longing for kindness and peace
… or something sweet.
Mirror moon lights the path within,
be transparent to your tenderness,
… the treat of compassion you seek.

Breath by breath,
be naked with not-knowing.
Admit your vulnerabilities,
allow acceptance,
can you forgive?

Full Moon fruit of the eclipse seed.
Discontent magnifies flaws;
uncertainty casts fear upon a fragile future.
Replace worries with devotion
to compassion and clarity.

Vulnerability clashes with impatience.
Immediacy upsets assumptions and habits.
Hard facts may seem impossible to bear.
Disorientation dances
upon a wide field of intuition and illusion…
questioning what is real.
Whisper, weep and sigh.
Can you be in this present moment,
showered in cosmic dust
without being pulled into the past or the future?

Sun in Virgo, discerning. Moon in Pisces, imagining.
Sun in Virgo, serving. Moon in Pisces, surrendering.
Be willing to breathe in cosmic grace and empathy.
Be inspired and lend a hand.

Hold the tension of this full moon;
build a bridge between idealism and practicality.
In the full spectrum of all your awareness,
recognize that you are the sky.

“Faith and doubt both are needed – not as antagonists, but working side by side to take us around the unknown curve.” Lillian Smith

Pisces Full Moon
September 6, 2017 12:02 am PDT

Life is Messy!
Mercury, retrograde since August 12 goes direct less than 24 hours before the full moon. More about this here: Mercury Retrograde in Virgo Revisits the Eclipse. In effect, Mercury is “standing still”. OK, so yipee “Mercury Direct”, but really, it’s not going anywhere fast at the moment and with this full moon conjunct Neptune, it’s difficult to think clearly. Take it slow. Pay attention to details. Get in your body. Breathe through it. Listen to the glimmerings of your intuition. Stand up and speak your spiritual truth. Sit under a tree. Take a nap.

Intuition is magnified, as well as fear.
There can be frustration with confusion, lack of focus or direction. An expansive light shines upon a need for greater empathy for self and others. Stand in the full moon portal and allow the light of wonderment to infuse you. Ideals can draw us to unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others. Our humanity eventually brings us down to earth. How may we incorporate our precious dreams and imagination into the everyday stuff of our lives?

We’re all in this together.
Neptune, ruler of Pisces is conjunct this Full Moon. A heightened sense of global oneness, connectivity. The shadow side of this polarity can emphasize anxiety, over-sensitivity and fearfulness to the point of an extreme sense of isolation and loneliness. Escapism into a bubble of self-destruction and victimization. Denial of any connectivity whatsoever. We are called to be gentle with self and others. You are not alone.

Higher Octave of Love
Pisces and Neptune resonate with Universal Love. Court the muse. Sing, dance, play music. Feed strangers. Sweep the sidewalk. Give to those who are suffering. See yourself in everyone. Smiles are free. Practice kindness. Melt your heart open to the cosmos. Be Cosmic. Be Nobody. Be Love.

☽ Pisces Full Moon Contemplations ☼
What is beneath my longing?
How may I hold the space to allow for an interplay of practicality and dreams in my life?
How may my kindness for others enlighten how I treat myself?

“Jacqueline’s readings are so right on! Amazing. Very, very insightful, helpful and thought/mind provoking!” Richard Schuman

May compassion feed your conscious choices!

Learn about how an astrology reading can you help you: Click here!

Stay in touch & Subscribe to AstroFlash!

Copyright © 2017 Jacqueline Lasahn All rights reserved
Artwork: Bali Lotus by Tessa Mythos
“Key West” by cloudzilla is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Mercury Retrograde in Virgo Revisits the Eclipse

August 24, 2017 By Jacqueline

Mercury retrograde in Virgo:
August 12 – September 5

We may get lost in details, rehash old arguments and work towards cleaning up neglected business. Unanswered correspondence resurfaces and we may be challenged with deadlines. There is the potential to recognize the crippling effects of self-criticism and ease off harsh perfectionism.

“It starts by forgetting about perfect. The writer Rebecca Solnit puts it well: “So many of us believe in perfection, which ruins everything else because the perfect is not only the enemy of the good; it’s also the enemy of the realistic, the possible, and the fun… The most evil trick about perfectionism, though, is that it disguises itself as a virtue.” Elizabeth Gilbert

August 26, Mercury reaches inferior conjunction with the Sun. Mercury is closest to the Earth and mid-way through through the retrograde cycle. Meticulous, critical thought process is favored. Time to get our affairs in order.

Mercury moves back into Leo on 8/31 and joins with Mars the following days (9/1 -9/3) almost exact (within minutes) to the degree of the Solar Eclipse. Read about the Eclipse here and here. This is a powerful trigger for imaginative, creative, decisive action. Vibrant insights. Speaking without thinking, rash words, confusion, arguments. Volatile. A lively time for doing, not relaxing. Be mindful of hasty decisions. Drive defensively. A boost of self-confidence. What thoughtful and quick action needs to be taken at this time? Speak out and set the wheels in motion. Notice what unfolds – these planets are activating the eclipse point and indicates this as a significant time for change.

What do you think? I am curious about your observation and experiences as they arise or after the fact. I invite your comments below!

“Many people think of perfectionism as striving to be your best, but it is not about self-improvement; it’s about earning approval and acceptance.” Brené Brown

A fabulous quote from Brené Brown speaks towards a pertinent realization to be gained from the Mercury retrograde bridge between Virgo and Leo. When do we think we need to be more perfect when really it’s about self-confidence? One the other side of the coin, consider the opposite. An example would be someone who embodies the Leo shadow archetype: grandiose, extravagant, proud and boastful who faces the tidy, practical and modest facts that that Virgo brings. Virgo is an earth sign and can bring the blustery fire down to earth.

The alchemy of transmuting fire into earth and the pitfalls of perfectionism.

Overall, I am musing about Mercury’s retro from Virgo, back into Leo and then direct within a degree of the solar eclipse of August 21. What confident and strong, generous and creative gifts are we retrieving during this cycle that we can bring forward into the fields of Virgo service into the world? How may we be fueled by the fire of Leo passion and apply the inspiration and strength gained into diligent work?

“Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this world, will help immensely. It is not given to us to know which acts or by whom will cause the critical mass to tip toward an enduring good.” Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Would you like to have a greater understanding of your life so that you can move forward? I am your ally. Astrology and Tarot can help and are mediums through which my gifts as a life-long intuitive are revealed. Contact me.

Copyright © 2017 Jacqueline Lasahn All rights reserved
Image: “A baby’s touch” by Jeff M for Short is licensed under CC BY 2.0 and modified by Jacqueline Lasahn

Leo Solar Eclipse 2017 (part 2)

August 20, 2017 By Jacqueline

More about the Solar Eclipse in Leo (read part 1 here). For those familiar with my astro-poetic style, the following is a different presentation with more astrological detail and dates.

A whole lotta Leo goin’ on!

Last month’s New Moon on July 23 was a New Moon in Leo at 0+ degrees. We begin a new moon-thly cycle with the Solar Eclipse in Leo at 29 degrees (there are 30 degrees in each sign). The cycles of the universe are bringing us a good dose of Leo, up close and personal. The 29th degree, also known as the anaretic degree or “degree of fate”, magnifies the full gamut of Leo expression. It points to dramatic changes and endings with this eclipse.

People are asking about Trump’s chart. Not only was he born on a lunar eclipse, additionally this solar eclipse falls on his Ascendant. Obviously this is a time of great change for him. I’ll leave it at that. Everyone who has a planet or point in or near the 29th degree of Leo has a different experience.

Keep in mind, we all have a slice of the zodiac pie, everyone embodies the Leo archetype somehow, somewhere in their life. A brief description of polarities in the Leo spectrum include:
generous / condescending
playful / childish
powerful / dominating
magnanimous / vindictive
prestigious / arrogant
confident / boastful
creative / show-off

“Light and shadow are opposite sides of the same coin. We can illuminate our paths or darken our way. It is a matter of choice.” Maya Angelou

Note that every sign has a full spectrum of expression; we’re exploring fiery Leo. All this stuff is magnified. Are we owning it or denying it? The eclipse is a powerful marker point in our development.

Consider: what doors to the past are closing and where are you stepping forward in the realm of Leonine expression in your life? Look as to where Leo falls in your astrological chart to see where your personal dynamics are activated.

Saros Cycles: Series of Eclipses

In the grand cosmos of magnificent and mysterious design, a solar eclipse is not an isolated event. The Babylonians discovered that each eclipse is part of a larger pattern spanning over a thousand years.

Imagine the past life implications! Eclipses correspond with the past, as well as the future, significant endings and beginnings in the continuum of time.

Bernadette Brady, Cultural Astronomer and Astrologer, wrote in her book, The Eagle and the Lark (1992) that each eclipse is a member of a family (of 70-72 eclipses) and each family has particular characteristics. The Saros cycle (the Greek word Saros means repetition) connects eclipses at 18ish-year intervals.

“Thus shadow owes its birth to light”. John Gay

The Solar Eclipse of August 21, 2017 is in the Saros Series 1 North. It is always intriguing to note the dates of previous eclipses that are a part of the series. In light of the recent events in Charlottesville, Virginia, I looked into the most recent eclipses of the Saros Series 1 North.

August 11, 1999 On the day before the eclipse, a white supremacist fired 70 shots in a Jewish Community Center, wounding five people and then murdering a mail carrier.

July 31, 1981. The murder of Michael Donald in Mobile, Alabama in March 1981 was the last recorded lynching in the United States by the KKK.

July 20, 1963. The following month, August, Martin Luther King gave his famous “I have a dream” speech. 1963 was also the year of Uranus-Pluto conjunction which corresponds with social upheaval and the struggle for freedom and equality. As we are currently in the tail-end of the rather lengthy phase of the Uranus-Pluto waxing square, I believe this has extra significance for us now.

I offer these dates for greater understanding of the larger cycles that are being activated at this time. How may we take action at this juncture?

It is worthwhile to consider this eclipse series on a personal level. What was going on in your life during previous years of this Saros Series? What doors are closing and what doors are opening in your life now?

I wrote the very first AstroFlash for the Solar Eclipse Leo of August 11, 1999! I mailed it to my friends and clients and it took off from there.

If you’d like, leave a comment about your eclipse synchronicities and experience – I look forward to hearing from you!

“Thank you so very much for the wonderful gift of thought, heart, Spirit and time you’ve given me through the astrology reading. I have been listening to the recording of our time together — slowly — and finding it amazingly true to my experience and rich in the details of elements that are influencing my life experience. I am so grateful to you for your gifts and your generosity in sharing them. I’m excited to recommend you to others!” Kat F.

Learn about how an astrology reading can you help you!

Leo Solar Eclipse (part 1)

August 18, 2017 By Jacqueline

leo eclipse by Isabel bryna 300x297 - Leo Solar Eclipse (part 1) Solar Eclipse.
Surreal disarray.
Every day brings something new,
we can’t
turn away.

Urgency of change.

Split between possible and impossible,
tangled up with exuberance and caution.

Which way to turn?
Toward radiant love without shame.

The Sun is inclusive and shines on us all;
the illusion of the shadow divides us
as if some were less worthy and small.

A Solar Eclipse changes the way we perceive the order of our lives. We see darkness where we depend on seeing light. The shadow is more obscure. The light is more brilliant. The grand display of contrast can accentuate a sharp focus of clarity.

A shadow is created by the Moon, voice of instinct and mystery of the unconscious. The seed of this new moon incorporates the shadow. Can we own the Leo courage to admit to denial as it is revealed? Are we willing to be awake to generous, creative and playful emergence? Full spectrum of Leo pride and personal power. As we release the denial we open to new life force and vitality.

There’s more…
This post is getting long and there is more I’d like to say about this series of eclipses (the Saros Cycle). Update: Read here for Part 2 … and the current Mercury Retrograde! Sign up on my mailing list if you’re not already on it.

Solar Eclipse Leo August 21, 2017 11:30 am PDT

Doors close and doors open.
Leave behind the past.
Step forward into dimensions
of mystery, synchronicity and surprise.
Explore the liminal edges where shadows meet the light,
where twilight melts into dreams
and dawn awakens denial.

Inside out.
Examine the questions,
decipher the drama.

Eclipses illuminate shadows,
look into what is unmasked.
The pressure is on.
Righteous attitudes fan the flames of hatred.
Dare to incite joy and kindness.
Kindle the innate kinship in our hearts.
The presence, power and passion of love is strengthened.

Leo Heart Fire.
Courage to face our fears,
give birth to new expressions,
and the courage to shine!

Each moment contains the essence of Life,
it is our challenge to be fully present.
The past, present and future is in
the root, the flower and the seed of each moment.

Take pause to integrate the changes
within you and around you.
Know the wisdom of your heart fire and
affirm it’s place as center in your body and life.

“Your radiance shines in every atom of creation
yet our petty desires keep it hidden.” Rumi

☽ Leo New Moon Contemplations ☼
What stands in the way of my own radiant self-love?
How may I allow my radiant, courageous and tender heart
to face my obstacles?
In what ways do I act out of integrity?
How may I act with full alignment of my truth?

Are you desiring to take a deeper look and have a greater understanding of your situation so that you can make life choices? Astrology and Tarot can help and are mediums through which my gifts as a life-long intuitive are revealed. I am here for you.

Copyright © 2017 Jacqueline Lasahn All rights reserved
Art: Lion Mountain River Moon by Isabel Bryna – check out her art!
“Giant Redwood” by IH is licensed under CC BY 2.0 and modified by Jacqueline Lasahn

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